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Astronomers Get First Look at Uranus's Rings as They Swing Edge-on to Earth

August 23, 2007

An edge-on view of Uranus' rings, possible only once every 42 years, shows that the dust distribution has changed significantly since Voyager 2 took photos in 1986. Keck and Hubble observations show the inner rings more clearly as the bright outer rings dim, and may discover new moons that shepherd the ring debris.Full Story

SourceUniversity of California, Berkeley

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2016, its budget is $7.5 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and other institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 48,000 competitive proposals for funding and makes about 12,000 new funding awards. NSF also awards about $626 million in professional and service contracts yearly.